Japan’s Menya Jiro Ramen Chain Opens First Boston-Area Location

Japan-based ramen chain Menya Jiro, which also has a location in Brooklyn, has opened the first of three planned Boston-area locations: The restaurant debuted on July 14 in Cambridge’s Harvard Square (57 JFK St., within the Crimson Galeria). The location was first announced in late 2019.

Menya Jiro features ramen in the style of Japan’s Kagoshima prefecture, with a broth made from pork and chicken. Chashu pork and fried garlic are prominent ingredients in Menya Jiro’s take on the style. (Dorchester’s now-closed Neponset Cafe also specialized in this style.) The restaurant also offers a miso vegetable base for its ramen. There are some non-ramen items on the menu, too, such as rice bowls with various toppings, pork belly buns, takoyaki, gyoza, and more.

Menya Jiro joins a variety of ramen options in the Harvard area: Santouka also has a location in the square, and Yume Wo Katare and Sapporo are nearby in Porter Square. (The Yume Wo Katare team posted to its Instagram story on July 15 encouraging followers to check out the new spot and showing off a closeup view of Menya Jiro’s towering “monster” ramen.)

The Harvard Square location of Menya Jiro is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. The chain is also expected to open at the Legacy Place development in Dedham later this year (756 Legacy Pl.), and a location is also in the works at 50 Northern Ave. in Boston’s Seaport District.